Gazelle Intensity....again

I'm always amazed when we make these decisions to buckle down how we seem to get little nudges of encouragment to stay on the path.  We seem to go in cycles.  We go "gazelle intensity", which I'm sure the expression comes from Prov. 6:5 where Solomon writes, "Save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler."  We are the gazelles, who run high speed, running away from the hunter.  We go "gazelle intense" depriving ourselves of EVERYTHING and this is a good thing when you know it isn't long term.  You can do anything short term when you have a goal.  But then, like a tired gazelle, we get slow down because it's hard to keep that up for a long time.  Then we get side-tracked by expenses for kids or a birthday or some kind of distraction and then somehow we become less intense.  We are always frugal in comparison to most, but the intensity goes down a notch or two.

I kind of like gazelle intensity.  I always feel like we make such huge strides when we're super hard core.  Just like when we started living like this several years ago, we had to get all the kids on board, we had to get the younger kids on board this time.  We tend to have to repeat what we taught the older kids to the younger set.  That's the other reason I don't mind so much.  It's just like reading the books I read with the older kids that I loved so much.  The younger ones were there when I read them the first time, but they were babies!  So I get to read them again to these little people and I enjoy that.  It's the same way with our frugal living.  The younger ones missed all the memos the first time round, so we are re-teaching them what we are about, why we do what we do.  

Restaurants are one of my favourite places to be.  We really don't go out very much, but there was a time there before my son left when we were hitting fast food a lot because we were driving so much all over Ontario getting him vaccinated, buying things for overseas, meeting people he needed to meet, etc.  We spent way more than we wanted to.  Then, we justified family dinners out because it was our last month together, or whatever - it added up.  I've been ok with cutting all that out.  Even the kids have been fine with it.  But, deep down, I do love a great meal out.  Well, a funny thing happened this week.  With my husband's new job, there are a few new perks which I'm super happy about.  He has to be out in the community being the friendly college guy.  So next week he has to go to a gorgeous golf club for a fancy dinner and guess who he gets to take?  Me!  Yay!  The amazing thing about going to this particular place is that just this summer he went to this club for a different college event and he came home raving about it.  He said he wanted to take me so badly just so I could see it.  Well, we knew that was never going to happen....but it has.  I always say this, but is it coincidence?  See, I just can't ever say that.  I always see these amazing blessings, because that is what they are, as little reminders from the Lord that He sees me.  He knows even my pathetic little desires like going out for dinner.  Gazelle intensity is a spiritual exercise as much as it is a financial exercise and I believe, in God's goodness, it is His way of telling me to stay the course.  

One of the other things that always amazes me is how clothes come into our life.  That has always been a huge blessing to me.  My sister is always giving us stuff from her girls and even from her own wardrobe.  I am never out shopping.  I honestly can't even think of a time when I went to a mall recentlyfor myself.  I haven't had to as these mini shipments arrive just when I'm feeling like maybe I should pick some things up.  Just this week, some more clothes were dropped off for our boys from someone I hadn't seen in months.  She had no idea this would come in handy.  I was in awe.  I probably won't have to do much shopping for the boys either.

Another blessing has come from my neighbour.  My neighbour happens to be a hairdresser - she cut my boys' hair this week.  That was a big savings.  I try to cut their hair.  It always looks hilarious when I'm done.  I'm so grateful to her for that.  

All of this just in this past week reminds me that God is in control.  We just have to be obedient.  God takes care of the rest.  One of the other verses we read with the kids was Proverbs 27:23, 

"Be sure you know the condition of your flocks,

    give careful attention to your herds;
24 for riches do not endure forever,
    and a crown is not secure for all generations.
25 When the hay is removed and new growth appears
    and the grass from the hills is gathered in,
26 the lambs will provide you with clothing,
    and the goats with the price of a field.
27 You will have plenty of goats’ milk to feed your family

    and to nourish your female servants.

This is one of my favourite passages on finances in the Bible particularly because of the farming imagery.  We literally had to go check out our herds when we had cows.  We literally grow hay and have even had goats and goat's milk.  But these are pictures of truly knowing your bank account and what your financial picture is.  The images are meant to teach that when you "know the condition" of your financial picture and you "give careful attention" to it, then you will be provided for, "the lambs will provide you with clothing" (I literally get clothes dropped off) and "you will have plenty of goats' milk to feed your family and to nourish your female servants".  Well, we don't plan on drinking goats' milk, but we do need food in the fridge.  We also don't have female servants, but I believe it can also mean there will be enough to pay the people you owe even after you have fed yourselves.

I cling to these passages and love them so much.  I take great encouragement in them.  I don't feel deprived in the slightest right now.  I know that anything I'm being deprived from I probably didn't need in my life anyway.  I always have my son in Africa in the back of my mind, too, knowing none of the Africans have what I'm depriving myself of anyway.  All this to say is God is keeping us on track with the gazelle intensity.  Isn't it funny that the "gazelle" imagery is also "African" in a way?  I don't know too many gazelles in Canada.  Kinda cool.